Best of the Eco Relics Blog – 2015

2015 was the first full year of business for the Eco Relics architectural salvage company, and also the first year for the Eco Relics blog. It launched with a post from back in January about our historic 1927 warehouse in Jacksonville’s Mixon Town neighborhood. Since then, plenty of posts have come and gone down the blog roll. Here’s our top three from 2015:

The Great Fire destroyed much of Jacksonville’s downtown in 1901, but the rebuilding effort was historic. Over a century later, we’re trying to make sure that these landmark buildings, constructed at great expense using materials and techniques that are now hard to come by, survive into the future. Historic preservation is essential to keep Jacksonville’s unique heritage accessible to future generations. We’re glad to see continued progress in keeping old Jacksonville standing.

Eco Relics buys its salvage from reputable sellers, but that’s not the only way people have acquired building materials throughout history, from plunderers of Roman ruins to revolutionary levelers in the New World.

John Meehan, proprietor of Meehan’s Irish Pub and friend of Eco Relics, passed away in 2015. We were lucky to get to know John as he stopped by our warehouse often both for his home and his business. His positive attitude, charisma, and youthful enthusiasm affected everyone he met. We will miss John Meehan in 2016 and beyond.

Related Posts

What is the difference between an artist and a craftsperson? That is the question I contemplated when I started thinking about the Fabrications Crew here at the Eco Relics architectural salvage warehouse. As it turns out, most of our fabricators would probably consider themselves both artists and craftspeople. Outside of work they paint, draw, and sculpt. They bring that creativity…

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Many historic buildings around the world are constructed with double hung sash windows. Unfortunately, many of these historic windows are lost to rot and replaced with inferior alternatives. Don’t let this happen to you! This simple maintenance procedure will return your windows to their rightful glory both aesthetically and functionally for decades to come. Before getting started, it is important…

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DIY is for everyone! It’s a common feature of our American heritage across all cultural distinctions. DIY is a bonding experience for young and old, an opportunity to share skills across generations. It instills the confidence that only comes from a sense of self-reliance and knowledge of past accomplishments. Independence is a function of doing it yourself. Debbie’s DIY Kitchen…

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More than fifteen years ago, Robert and Mary purchased an old lamp base in a Williamsburg, Virginia antique store. To the untrained eye it might have looked like a candidate for the trash can. The electric components were shot, the shade was missing, and the metal base was tarnished and corroding. But Robert and Mary recognized something in lamp base’s…

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The most common question here at Eco Relics is “Where do you get all this stuff?” While we acquire our architectural salvage by purchasing from reputable sources, that is not the only way people have gotten a hold of building materials throughout history. Less ethical salvagers have resorted to trespass, theft, robbery, and even mob action in search of building…

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It’s time for Spring projects! We didn’t have to wait for the snow to melt, but Spring still inspires the creator in all of us. Azaleas are blooming, bees are buzzing, and everywhere you look, nature’s busy builders are collecting raw materials and fashioning them into something they can use. Here’s a couple of recent projects, one from our wood…

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This old Philco radio was once the centerpiece of someone’s living room. Its art deco features recall the golden days of radio, when the whole family would gather around to partake in the technological miracle of FM broadcasting. The radio came to us in pieces, its vacuum tubes and speaker no longer functional. Our artists reimagined the radio as a…

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Have you been by to check out Eco Relics, yet? If not, you are in for a real treat. We have a large inventory of antiques in Jacksonville and salvage materials. You wouldn’t believe some of the amazing things that come across our path. It has pushed us to get creative with the use of the antiques and salvage items…

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Dr. Jonathan Schneider always finds a way to celebrate life. Making “antiqued” signs began as hobby for him, an introduction to woodworking and a way to to spend his free time feeling purposeful and relaxed. But the imagination, craftsmanship, and folksy charm expressed in his work soon found a larger audience. It started with the signs he made for his…

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Music fans rejoice! Did you know that there are vinyl records in the Eco Relics architectural salvage warehouse? Even if you don’t have a record player (for shame!), there are plenty of things you can do with our records. If it is unlikely that your old Johnny Mathis platter will ever spin again, consider repurposing it. A little heat will soften up…

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An underground landfill fire in St. Louis has been burning for nearly four years, releasing toxic concentrations of benzene and hydrogen sulfide. It threatens to contaminate the water supply with radioactive compounds. In January 2014, sixty elementary school students and staff were hospitalized following exposure to carbon monoxide from a leaking landfill. City officials in Bozeman, Montana allowed the construction…

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Creating an appealing look for an interior space can be a more challenging task that you might expect. Most people feel they have a good sense of taste, but interior design is governed by artistic principles that go beyond simply deciding what one might think looks good and what doesn’t. Interior design is grounded in concepts that have stood the test of time,…

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The U.S. Green Building Council updated its credit system to Version 4 this year. New construction projects seeking a LEED certification may now earn up to 7 points in the Materials and Resources category that directly relate to architectural salvage. That’s 17.5% of a certification! Construction and demolition waste planning is now required for all new construction. Projects can earn up…

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The Eco Relics crew is a great resource for Jacksonville’s DIY community. We are wood workers, metal workers, engineers, draftsmen, and builders of all kinds with over a century of experience and we are always available for you to consult. And we’ve just deepened our knowledge and experience by adding another unique personality to our crew. Let’s take a minute…

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